Umami Goes Vegas (2010): Day 3: Joe's Seafood Prime Steak & Stone Crab

Day 3 Dinner was at Joe's Seafood Prime Steak & Stone Crab in the Caesar's Palace Forum Shops (Las Vegas Boulevard End, Street Level, at the base of the spiral escalator).   Joe's Stone Crab opened in Miami in 1913 and in Las Vegas in 2004.  The restaurant serves steaks and fish, but is famous for stone crab.  So that's what Umami has!

But first, a salad . . . This is the Vegetable Chopped Salad, with Farmer's Cheese & Joe's Vinaigrette.  It's cool and crisp, with hearts of palm, celery, and radish adding some texture and and a little bite.  The cheese is unobtrusive and the vinaigrette subtle.  It's a really good salad ($9.95).

Next, seven medium stone crab claws ($34.95) and an order of hashbrowns ($7.95).  Joe's used to do a lunch special of three stone crab claws, hashbrowns, coleslaw, and key lime pie for $29.95 (I think), but no more.  They do, however, do a special of five jonah crab claws, hashed brown, sweet corn, and key lime pie for $21.95.  And a $21.95 Filet Mignon lunch special as well, both of which are options for another day.

But these are the stone crab claws.  They come cracked with a delicate horseradish mustard sauce.  The meat is firm and sweet, and doesn't really need the sauce.  Umami really likes the mustard and, therefore, uses it.

The hashbrowns are incredibly good, with a crunchy crust and decent amount of salt.  In fact, while Umami might bypass the stone crab in order to try other items, he's not compromising on the hash browns!

Here's a shelled claw.  It's funny that these pics have come out so dark, because the seating area is actually just outside the restaurant proper, in a "patio" that's basically a small section of the mall.

It's okay to sit outside, but inside is probably better, since it's got a steak-house-dark-wood" vibe that's more appropriate to the fare.

Finally, this is the key lime pie ($6.95), which was served very chilled to the point of being practically frozen, which was rather disappointing.  Umami thinks they don't really pay enough attention to the pie, just kind of cutting it, casually plating it (isn't it a little off center?), and storing it too cold.  Too bad, too, because the flavor of the pie itself is refreshing, especially after the crab and potatoes.

In sum, a fun option for lunch (because you get to eat with your hands!), with solid food, in a convenient spot to sit down after a morning of running around Caesar's.



Joe's Seafood Prime Steak & Stone Crab
Forum Shops @ Caesars (Las Vegas Blvd End, Street Level)
3500 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89109

(702) 792-9222

JoesLVCS@leye.com

www.joes.net/las-vegas

Umami Goes Vegas (2010):

Umami is back from Vegas, poorer and fatter!  The food was, as usual, fun.  A list of the restaurants is below.


The problem, though, was that there were waay too few "Big Wins" like this one:

Okay, that a penny machine, but $90 is $90!  It's also a fun machine to play:  When Bruce Lee appears as a wild, the picture is a torso shot, that expands to fill the column to make stacked wilds, and then he kicks, all accompanied by appropriate sound effects.  It's hilarious (and, obviously, super cool!)  Here's link if you want to see what it looks like (it's not Umami's video, he just found it on YouTube):  WopPAH!


Anyway, here's the list of restaurants and concerts from the trip.  Umami is still getting photos organized, doing laundry, getting reoriented to humidity . . . but will start blogging these soon!


Day 1
Aloha Specialties (California Hotel)
Bouchon (The Venetian)
Blue Oyster Cult (Fremont Street Experience)


Day 2
Aloha Specialties (California Hotel)
Triple Seven Brew Pub (Main Street Station)
Pasta Pirate (California Hotel)


Day 3
Carson Street Cafe (Golden Nugget)
Joe's Seafood Prime Steak & Stone Crab (Caesar's Palace)


Day 4
Bouchon (The Venetian)
Serendipity 3 (Caesar's Palace)
Cheap Trick (Paris)


Day 5
Mon Ami Gabi (Paris)


Post-Trip Random Thoughts
On Omiyage
On iPad

Lake Shore Drive

Umami had an absolutely brutal Tuesday, meetings with multiple clients with obscured personal agendas all talking at cross purposes, creating issues that they don't have to deal with, perceiving the urgency of only their own universe.  Umami's neck and shoulders seized up around lunch time and never really let up.  Which is to say, Tuesday was a day pretty much like Monday was, and like Wednesday will be.

It's funny what the mind goes to, randomly, at times like this.  For today, it's back to a song he heard on the radio in college, never before, and never since.  "Lake Shore Drive," by Aliotta-Haynes-Jeremiah, was a regional hit in the Chicago area, which is understandable, since it's about the expressway through Chicago.  It always seemed to be a slightly hippie-ish pop-country-rock tune, as if it was already nostalgic for the passing of the '60's, but thinking that the optimism of the era could still be recaptured.  Perhaps that's why Umami still likes it today.

With that as a soundtrack, Umami is not caring about healthy diets at the moment.  On days like today, he goes for the easy (because he doesn't want to cook) comfort food.  So this is a Tombstone Pizza (Supreme).  Oh, and a Rolling Rock!


And even this goes back to college.  The dorm area only had one place you can get anything to eat late, and the menu was only Tombstone pizzas.  Umami recalls sharing a pizza one night with his friend Patti and feeling pretty happy about the whole thing.  Not necessarily a fun night, but a happy one, and there is a difference.  Obviously was  still a student and not yet in the Real World!  Lol, should never have taken the Red Pill!  So, here the value of the food is not in the food itself . . . Umami thinks that must be more true than not. 


So it's not great food, it's not a great beer, it's not a great song.  (Umami takes that back, it is a great song!)  But they all serve their purpose . . .  Umami's chilled out, and thinking, like the song says,

"And the sunshine's fine

in the morning time

And tomorrow is another day."

Amen to that . . . Peace.

Umami Say: "C is for Cookie, That's Good Enough For Me!"

Let's be honest. Can we talk? Did anyone really model their eating habits after Cookie Monster ("Cookie," to his friends)? Of course, not!  So Umami is appalled that Sesame Street is turning the OCD (Obsessive Cookie Disorder) muppet into some kind of healthy eating icon that eats "meat" and "fish" and "veg-a-ta-balls." (And "bicycle" and "fire hydrant!") Cookie is supposed to eat Cookies! Not "meat" or "fish" and certainly not "veg-a-ta-balls!"  Yeah, Poison Ivy is cute and all, and we still love the NOM NOM NOM even when he's eating crumbs, but it just can't compare to Classic Cookie . . . !

Like Cookie says:  "C is for Cookie, that's good enough for me!"  And good enough for Umami, too!

Umami on the Prowl: Downtown @ the HiSAM

Umami had an unusual lunch at Downtown @ the HiSAM the other day.  Downtown is the cafe in the Hawaii State Art Museum (HiSAM) and is owned by Ed Kenney, who also owns Town in Kaimuki.   Both restaurants emphasize local, organic food and are normally very reliable for good food and service.  On this particular occasion, Umami made reservations for lunch at 12, which is admittedly a busy hour.  We were on a tight schedule (only an hour) and mentioned this to the server, who assured us we had plenty of time.

However, half an hour later and still no food and, when we commented about it when it did arrive our server could only say that, well, if we were in a hurry we should have come at 11 or 1.  Which, I suppose, is true, but why say it that way?

Compounding this, the food was oddly colorless and unappetizing in appearance.  This basically pork, with cabbage and smashed potatoes.  Now, it was perfectly prepared and flavorful.  But, honestly, look at this plate . . . doesn't seem completely washed out?  Almost feel as though an element is missing from the plate.

Umami's just puzzled.  He likes Downtown, but can't account for the rather lackluster service and food on this day.  It may be that the restaurant is simply so understaffed that attention to detail is slipping.   Will have to keep tabs on the situation.

Downtown at HiSAM 
250 S Hotel St (in the Hawaii State Art Museum Building)
Honolulu, HI 96813

(808) 536-5900

Umami Surfs the Net: "The Appetizing Art of Food Photography"

Once is a while, we come across something that says we have to step up our game.  For Umami, perhaps it will be this post by  Claire O'Neill for National Public Radio:  "The Appetizing Art of Food Photography."  Umami's not really much of a photographer, he doesn't understand half the settings on his camera phone and his choices of subject can be somewhat random.  So it's inspirational to see the work (and it is work) of people who take their food and photography seriously.  Like La Tartine Gourmande and smitten kitchen.    Something to shoot for!


(Oh, by the way, the pic above is the Strawberry Shortcake from Panya Bakery.  Like all of their desserts, it's absurdly light cake and absurdly light cream.  Very delicate strawberry flavor.  Like all of Umami's pics, it's composed on the fly and weirdly cropped, haha!)


Panya

1111 Bishop Street (Remington College Building, Downstairs)Honolulu, HI 96813-2811(808) 536-8363

panyabakery.com

Umami on the Prowl: Himalayan Kitchen

This is what Trish texted when Umami confirmed reservations for Himalayan Kitchen:

  "EXCELLENT.  :*) See you there!"

Umami doesn't really know what ":*)" means, but is reassured that it's at least a smiley!    >=]

They had really enjoyed the first visit, and always wanted to go back to try different things (there are a lot of things to try!) and were finally getting around to going.

Himalayan Kitchen is on the second floor of a building at (roughly) the corner of 11th and Waialae in Kaimuki, across 11th from Kaimuki Community Park.  The ground floor has a BBQ place, an Italian Restaurant and a little boutique.  Himalayan Kitchen has a good chunk of the second floor.  In the photo, they have a decent sized room to the left and the main dining room and patio (overlooks the park) is through the unpretentious doorway.

The food is "Himalayan" which is a mix Northern Indian, Nepalese and Chinese influences.  But, honestly, it's hard to see any Chinese influence (well, maybe some sweet and sour type items) and Umami doesn't really have a feel for Nepalese cuisine.  Suffice to say that if you like Indian food, you should be very comfortable here.

Trish loves Indian breads and, especially, Paneer.  Umami's not a Paneer fan, but is a good sport, so we started with Paneer Kulcha, which is a naan with a paneer and onion filling.  It arrived nice and warm and in appearance and flavor it was a breadier version of a quesadilla.  There was a cilantro-based dipping sauce (you might even call it a green salsa . . . ).  Trish was very happy.

We followed up with the Lamb Bhuna, which is described as "shredded lamb simply sauteed with a creamy garlic sauce with green onions."  The sauce is indeed very rich and creamy, with more than a little curry flavor.  It was like a lamb curry stroganoff.  It was absolutely killer on the Paneer Kulcha (Trish was very, very happy with that combination).  The lamb is actually cubed, not shredded.  Umami points that out because he thinks the dish is more successful that way, as if the cubed meat has more gravitas.

It was also absolutely killer on the basmati rice.  :-) To clarify, all entrees come with rice, but Umami noticed that Nepali style mash potato could be substituted.

So, with the Mix Tandoori Grill, we ordered the mashed potatoes.

This was a chunky style mashed potato, with a noticeable curry color and flavor.  It's a very . . . sincere dish that would make an excellent simple one course meal.

It would not work at all with the bhuna, and we didn't even try it that way.  Maybe we should have.  Next time . . .

The Mix Tandoori Grill had six pieces of Chicken Tikka (the pinkish pieces that look like salmon), shrimp, a sekh kabob (minced meat with spices prepared on a skewer) and lamb seakwa.  This was okay, but only okay, as it seemed a little dry.  And it was definitely suffering in comparison to the bhuna.  It did, however, have some actual greens as a side.  Anyway, it was a way to try a variety of meats and, having done so, no real need to order them again, especially given that there are many more interesting things on the menu.

Finally, this is the Mango Lassi.  In the interest of full disclosure, it does not actually glow like this.  Rather, it happened to be getting the last of the sun, and Umami had the wrong white setting on his camera.  So a fortunate accident.

Overall, it was a fun (and filling!) dinner.  Trish reported that she "plopped down on the rocking chair as soon as I got home, & haven't moved!  :o  Not watching tv, just sitting. :*)"  Lol, a fine night! >=)





Himalayan Kitchen 

1137 11th Ave (2nd Floor)
Honolulu, HI 96816

(808) 735-1122

www.himalayankitchen.net

Umami on the Prowl: Catania Ristorante Italiano

One would suppose, with such a grand name, that Catania Ristorante Italiano could be a fussy, pretentious eatery.  Fortunately for Umami, it's the diametric opposite.  Catania is a small, mostly take-out operation in the Remington College Building, the same place that houses Fooda Deli and Aloha Island Grill (among other restaurants).


They do a nice Italian food lunch for around $7-10.  It's not cheap, but it is competitive with other options in the area considering the quality of the food.


This, however, is the mini salad for $5.  Basically, there are always seven or so varying salad choices, like Tomato/Tofu, Couscous, Corn, Beets (Ms. D really likes the beets), Pasta, etc.  For $7.50 or so, you can get the large salad with any combination of the salads.  But $5 for the small is a good lunch.


In this case, Umami opted for the Chicken Curry Salad and the Pea Salad.  The Chicken Curry has a nice curry flavor without being overpowering, with diced chicken, carrots, and raisins (which give a shot of sweetness to the salad).  It would actually make a great sandwich, so an interesting lunch option might be to get an order of the salad, bring a loaf of bread, and just make sandwiches.  If you go Wednesday, they usually have a good tuna salad, so one could have a sandwich buffet!  But Umami digresses . . . 


A further digression . . . Umami doesn't really care for peas, so it says something that he opted for the Pea Salad over others (such as the Pasta Salad would make a pretty substantial lunch paired with the Chicken Curry Salad).  But Umami felt the need for some greens and the Pea Salad is nice and crunchy, not squishy, and, let's admit it . . . there's bacon in the salad!  Umami can forgive a lot of peas for the occasional bacon bit!


Overall, a good option if Umami wants to be good and eat a salad (but not too good!).


Catania Ristorante Italiano

1111 Bishop Street (Remington College Building Promenade)Honolulu, HI 96813-2875(808) 528-4588

Mango Show: No Luck

Sometimes a painting just doesn't work out and this might be one of them.  I think the composition issues of the mango being too close to the center may have been too much.  It's a little wet right now, though, and the paint will change as it dries, so maybe it will do something interesting tonight and look better tomorrow.

Regardless, we'll keep our commitments and submit it tomorrow anyway.  I hope it least has the virtue of looking unlike anything else.

So for now, no pic, it needs to dry and then needs a frame slapped on it.  It will be interesting to see it hanging and in the context of the show.  Will definitely take pics of that! 

Mango Show Update 4

Tomorrow is work-turn-in day for the Mango Show and Umami is still woefully not ready.  Did finally get the mango in place, but the whole concept of some oranges and yellows on the left was not working out, resulting in the large dark blue blotch on that side.  There is still some of the color under there, but very much submerged now.   The compositional issue now is that the left side is not really there and needs to brought out, probably with washes of whites and blues.  Running out of time, though, so we'll see what happens . . . regardless, it will have to be done tomorrow.